[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment":3,"chapter-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-125":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Intelligence King of Chinese Entertainment",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260428,4411,"Chapter 125: Seven Girls, Four Factions: The Seven Fairies in Intrigue","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-125",125,"\u003Cp>Yan Li and Dong Xuan had exposed their relationship in front of Hu Siyan, Wu Yue, and others, but still kept a low profile on set afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people knew the score and wouldn’t gossip recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference from before was that Dong Xuan had changed from a colleague to “Boss’s Wife,” and Li Lin and Hu Siyan’s attitudes toward her shifted somewhat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Hu Siyan, who deliberately softened her stance toward Dong Xuan, calling her “Sister Xuan” every day and no longer hovered near Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, her earlier impression on Dong Xuan had been terrible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not inciting Yan Li to replace her was already Dong Xuan being magnanimous; expecting her and Hu Siyan to get along was pure wishful thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With preconceived notions in her heart, Dong Xuan found everything about Hu Siyan irritating—even her flattery of calling her “Sister Xuan” felt like an insinuation that she was old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, among the Seven Fairies, Dong Xuan ranked third, and in reality, she was also the third-oldest among the seven actresses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three of the lead actresses were born in the 1970s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oldest was the Second Fairy, Li Bingbing, born in 1973; the Sixth Fairy, Yang Xue, was second, born in 1978; Dong Xuan, born in 1979, was third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining four were all born in the 1980s: the First Fairy, Li Lin, and the Seventh Fairy, Hu Siyan, were both born in 1980, with Li Lin a few months older; the Fifth Fairy, Fan Xiaopang, was born in 1981.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youngest was the Fourth Fairy, Jiang Xin, whose official records listed 1983, though the accuracy was questionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught between the 1970s and 1980s generations, watching a group of younger actresses, some of whom still lusted after Yan Li,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan wasn’t exactly anxious or worried, but she did care a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Hu Siyan—even Zhou Yiwei and Lin Jiachuan, Dong Xuan no longer let them call her “Sister Xuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jiachuan, having worked with Yan Li for a long time, had grown sharper and promptly led Zhou Yiwei to switch to calling her “Sister-in-Law.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, they’d called her “Sister-in-Law” before too, but “Sister Xuan” had been used more often, and no one had paid much attention—whatever they wanted to call her, fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that Yan Li had risen in status and become a hot commodity, Lin Jiachuan and the others, as Yan Li’s close brothers, switching to “Sister-in-Law” carried a subtly different significance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan, pleased by this, began again to dangle romantic prospects before Lin Jiachuan and Zhou Yiwei, chattering away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Siyan, repeatedly met with cold shoulders, realized she was unwelcome by Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t without pride; if someone disliked her, why keep forcing herself upon them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, she’d feared Dong Xuan might sabotage her; later, seeing no signs of targeted hostility and no indication the production would replace her, Hu Siyan gradually relaxed, stopped pursuing Dong Xuan, and kept her distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tension between Dong and Hu left Li Lin caught in the middle, torn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing both women’s positions, she didn’t want to grow close to Hu Siyan and offend Dong Xuan, nor did she want to flatter Dong Xuan and isolate Hu Siyan, letting her fall further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Lin adopted a stance of neutrality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside of filming and rehearsals, she dealt with both professionally and avoided private one-on-one contact with either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three fairies, three factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, most scenes now were solo, allowing them to gradually settle into their characters; otherwise, forced on-screen sisterly affection might have felt unnatural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed slowly, and as the production of “Happy Heaven Seven Fairies” gradually stabilized,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sina, NetEase, Sohu, and numerous media outlets began their year-end reviews of 2003.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Happy Heaven Seven Fairies” production team still held considerable visibility among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Liu Xiaoqing, who had been jailed and then released, ranked among the top ten entertainment figures of 2003.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li’s rumored romance with Li Bingbing was also cited by some media as one of 2003’s major entertainment relationships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Dong Xuan’s drama “Snow Goddess Dragon” aired year-end on Guangdong TV.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to its moderate reception during its Chongqing TV premiere, the drama turned around spectacularly on Guangdong TV.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ratings rose significantly, peaking at one point among the top three on all major satellite channels at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although several top satellite channels were preparing their New Year blockbusters and thus slightly eased their year-end efforts, making the top three at the same time was still an impressive achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More notably, “Snow Goddess Dragon” achieved extremely high ratings in Guangdong province, consistently ranking first in multiple regions, even outperforming some Hong Kong dramas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Capitalizing on this momentum, Yi’an Film’s marketing team had already rushed to Guangdong to negotiate deals with local channels and city stations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pity, however, that no other satellite channels had shown interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few who were interested thought the first-run price was too high and the risk too great, planning to wait and bid for second-run rights at a lower price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, the minor breakout of “Snow Goddess Dragon” on Guangdong TV boosted Dong Xuan and Qiao Zhenyu’s popularity again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan was even included by several media outlets among the top ten new actress debuts of 2003.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This honor carried some real weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those listed alongside her included Liu Tianyi from “Jade Dragon,” Gao Yuanyuan from “The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber,” Tong Dawei and Sun Li from “Jade Goddess of Mercy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All were newcomers or relatively unknown actors who exploded into fame in 2003.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li, watching this, felt envious; his roles as Wu Tian and Song Dian, even if expanded to the top hundred newcomers, barely stood a chance of being included.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond “Happy Heaven Seven Fairies,” the drama hailed as 2003’s biggest dark horse, “Conquest,” also made headlines in year-end reviews.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its ratings placed it among the top ten of 2003’s nationwide satellite channel annual rankings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It won the annual ratings championship on Hebei, Tianjin, and Chongqing TV, and third place on Beijing TV.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its cumulative satellite channel reruns exceeded 20 times, while ground-level and county-level station reruns surpassed 50 times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the DVD market, legitimate sales exceeded 100,000 copies, and pirated sales were rumored to reach millions—making it one of, if not the, best-selling TV dramas of 2003 in DVD format.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2003, the film and TV market thrived due to SARS, and CCTV’s massive platform helped elevate several dramas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Conquest”’s numbers couldn’t guarantee it a top-ten spot among 2003’s most influential TV dramas, but it was certainly a strong contender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With “Conquest” as its ace and “Snow Goddess Dragon” performing well, plus investments in multiple other film and TV projects, Yi’an Film had begun building momentum within the industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, compared to these reviews, what Yan Li valued most was still the annual “Intelligence Report.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still ten items, still packed with information and value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It included Li Bingbing and her sister leaving Huayi to start their own company, Wanda’s strategy to expand cinema chains and force the film industry to concede profits, a 2010 review of popular film and TV dramas, digital visual effects technology from Hong Kong’s Visual Gravity, Wang Ou’s personal resume up to 2020…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it seemed scattered—here a hammer, there a nail—Yan Li, having learned to dig deep and analyze details, extracted plenty of useful intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intelligence on Li Bingbing and her sister’s departure contained hints about Huayi’s future development and internal struggles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, he saw names like Fan Xiaopang, Zhou Young Master, and Huang Xiaoming, along with projects like “No Thieves in the World,” “The Wind,” and “Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom,” including Huayi’s IPO, celebrity shareholders, and capital infusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this industry, future dealings with Huayi were inevitable; having some preparation in advance was best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 2010 review of popular film and TV dramas essentially bundled every major movie and series of that year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though most entries were just titles with brief synopses, directors, and leads, it was enough for Yan Li to identify targets, activate his system, and intercept them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Wang Ou’s future resume, its value wasn’t especially high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it did solidify Yan Li’s belief in her potential, making him more willing to invest resources in her and deepening his understanding and judgment of her traits and trajectory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, Yan Li was genuinely surprised—he hadn’t expected that a minor model he’d casually picked up was a future star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond her career, Wang Ou’s scandals and rumors were also included in the intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li remained calm; after all, this Wang Ou wasn’t that “Wang Ou,” and he already understood her personality well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he saw the “Nightlight Script,” he nearly lost composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, late-night script discussions, fondness for listening to his lectures, excessive passion for acting…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among all the annual intelligence, what Yan Li valued most was still Wanda’s cinema chain strategy and that special effects technology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had always believed that being a producer or distributor in the film industry meant being an employee; the platform and the terminal were the true “bosses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wanda’s strategy aligned perfectly with his own hidden thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the coming years, the film industry’s ceiling was low; investing in film production carried high risk and frequent losses; better to focus on cinema chains and seize the terminal market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commercial real estate plus movie theaters offered high asset preservation and enormous future potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, if he secured a foothold in the cinema market, when the film industry boomed, he could directly reap the profits and even pressure producers, strengthening industry influence and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, while the “cinema first, film later” strategy was sound, cinema chain investment required far more capital than film investment and involved far more complex channels to unlock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the cake was tempting, but not something you could just grab a slice of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Hong Kong special effects company’s technology, frankly, Yan Li didn’t understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it felt impressive—likely a highly capable technology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Film and TV productions always needed special effects; having a mature, superior effects team or company would be a definite advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this wasn’t something Yan Li could just produce on demand; not only was the source hard to explain, but he couldn’t even be sure of the technology’s actual level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most crucially, maintaining a special effects team cost money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because “Happy Heaven Seven Fairies” had many special effects needs, Yan Li had dealt with several effects companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens, it was like money flowing down a drain—expensive, inefficient, with projects coming once every three years, business was dull, and pricing was tricky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Set prices too high, clients fled; set them too low, equipment, staff, and miscellaneous costs might force him to lose money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Investing in cinema chains, no matter how expensive, at least yielded theaters, land, or real estate—you couldn’t lose too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Investing in a special effects company? Money burned, possibly as if thrown into a fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating, Yan Li sealed this intelligence away—it wasn’t something he could afford to pursue now; he’d revisit it when he had sufficient capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having sorted and categorized the intelligence, Yan Li reviewed his own finances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All film, industrial, and stock investments were off-limits; after deducting housing purchases, expenses, emergency reserves, and company operating funds,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li could squeeze out at most a few million in cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These funds were fine for small ventures, but for major moves, he couldn’t even step through the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d have to wait for the 2005 bull market. Oh, and the monthly intelligence had mentioned the upcoming European Cup—he could place a substantial bet there too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of caution, Yan Li had always bet on football matches only lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with cash tight and this European Cup featuring a major dark horse, the opportunity was rare—he decided to break his rule and gamble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he won, his capital would swell significantly, greatly benefiting company growth, other investments, and preparation for the 2005 bull market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li wasn’t fond of gambling, but when seated at the table, he never lacked the nerve to place his bet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not like he’s staking his entire fortune—if he loses, he can always start over…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Yan Li was processing and absorbing the 【annual intelligence reports】 and initiating preliminary contact actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new cast members finally arrived for “Seven Fairies in Joy and Delight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In early January, Yang Xue joined first; after sensing an odd atmosphere among the fairies, she hesitated briefly, then began drawing closer to Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her choice wasn’t surprising!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Lin joined the production on her own merit, confident and determined to film peacefully, avoiding entanglements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yang Xue entered through Yan Li’s connections, owed him a favor, knew about the Double Bing publicity stunt, understood Dong Xuan’s identity, and was herself from Beijing Film Academy—same alma mater as Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emotionally, rationally, and strategically, Yang Xue would side with Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, Jiang Xin also chose to join Dong Xuan’s circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew little of the situation; her choice was merely self-preservation—where the crowd was, she followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong, Jiang, and Yang formed a bloc; Li Lin remained neutral; Hu Siyan was subtly excluded and isolated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Fan Xiaopang and Liu Xiaoqing joined the cast in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Siyan immediately clung to Liu Xiaoqing’s coattails; she didn’t expect Liu to fight her battles—just to shield her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the entire “Seven Fairies in Joy and Delight,” only Liu Xiaoqing’s status could intimidate Dong Xuan’s faction, given their special identities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaoqing, at her level, naturally saw through Hu Siyan’s small schemes—but she was currently at a low point in her life, feeling somewhat sentimental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even though she knew Hu Siyan had ulterior motives, seeing her pitiful expression stirred a touch of sympathy, and she tacitly allowed Hu’s maneuvering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaoqing’s seniority, connections, and vision were top-tier in mainland entertainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she’d fallen from grace, she still carried the dignity of a fallen tiger; Yan Li, a newcomer, barely registered with her, let alone Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang lacked Liu Xiaoqing’s clout; after observing the situation, she chose to join Li Lin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t want to offend Dong Xuan, nor could she bring herself to become her lackey—so she aligned with Li Lin, sticking to “I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Queen Mother and six fairies—seven people total—they split into three factions, each with their own internal agendas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li was now deeply curious: what choice would Li Bingbing make upon joining?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t get along with Fan Xiaopang, and they were even rumored to be rivals—she certainly wouldn’t join them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan’s seniority and fame couldn’t even win Fan Xiaopang’s respect, let alone Li Bingbing’s, who was older and far more popular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Playing with Liu Xiaoqing wasn’t her style, and she had no reason to antagonize Dong Xuan either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Yan Li analyzed Li Bingbing’s personality and suspected she might stand alone as a fourth faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the most famous of the seven fairies, aside from Fan Xiaopang’s publicity needs, no one dared provoke her—she had the confidence to go it alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph, seven fairies, four factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li even wanted to rewrite the script—change the title too: “Seven Fairies in Joy and Delight” became “Seven Fairies in Scheming and Intrigue…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2557,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fa5cdab922401335ce50b611a43ae2fe69085e3b91edb577a9d83685d2ac5078","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-126","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-124",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]